Tag Archives: sativa

Ript Pucked Up Peach Sour Sativa Cannabis Infused Gummies Review

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RIPT fast-acting gummies line of edibles come in nine different flavor and effect combinations, They have both sweet and sour versions for Sativa, Indica and Hybrid, as well as three with CBD. Their CBD gummies come in formulas with CBN, CBG and CBC. For this review we’ll share our experience with Pucked Up Peach sour Sativa gummies

The big selling point for these gummies is the affordable price. We found them for 20-30% less than other gummies. In one place, where high end rosin gummies were near $20 and other gummies were $15, these sold for less than 10 dollars. Each gummy has 10mg of THC per serving, for a total of 100mg THC per package.

Ript Pucked Up Peach Fast acting our sativa gummies package. A lime green quare plastic pouch wioth a square label in orange and yellow with the product name
RIPT Pucked Up Peach

The package is a typical pouch where you pull open the top then need to pull apart the interior zip lock. Inside are the gummies and they hardly take up half of the package, not sure why there is so much extra packaging.

Dosing & Flavor

The smell from the container is a strong fruit smell. Ript gummies are made with citric acid and natural flavors, so you are not going to get authentic, true-to-fruit flavor. Like many gummies you get a pleasant candy-like flavor, plus they are coated in sugar so when handling them you get that finger licking thing going on.

Unlike the Kiva Camino gummies which are smooth and see-through, these have a more of a fruit chew appearance and a sugar-covered texture. They are easy to bite through, are soft and have a pleasant mouth feel.

These gummies contain Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Gelatin, Ripple (Water, Gum Arabic, Cannabanoid Extract, MCT Oil) Contains 2% or less of Natural Flavoring, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Pectin, Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate, Sodium Hydrate Malate and Vegetable Juice (for color) Since they contain gelatin, they are not vegan friendly which is always a minus.

They are gluten free, and dairy free, and nut free. The gummies are not individually wrapped and need to be cut in half for a 5mg dose or in quarters for a 2.5mg dose. They are soft and round so it is quite easy cutting them in half.

As we always recommend with new edibles, try half of your usual dose before trying a full dose as you never know how strong something will effect you. The gummies are easy to cut or bite in half to give a 5mg dose of THC, then to split them in half again for a 2.5mg dose. As everyone is different, it’s important to try a partial dose first to see how you react to new edibles.

Since I am experienced with edibles and my usual dose is 10mg of THC, I began with half of one piece, with 5mg THC. After having only light effects for that trial run, I then moved closer to my usual dose on another day, taking one whole gummy for a total dose of 10mg THC. I still found the effects on the mild side, so I found that for me adding one of the quarter pieces of 2.5mg plus a 10 mg piece provided a 12.5 mg dose which gives me a solid strength effect. I sometimes use one and a one half pieces for a 15mg dose of THC when I want a much stronger effect, or if I have recently eaten, or if I’ve taken CBD, all of which can tamp down the effects for me. As always, start low and go slow.

Effects

The effects were along the lines of what you’d expect from a Sativa. Mildly uplifting, a bit energetic, creative and a little bit spacey. The impacts are fine for being able to function well with a boost of expansion for the head. The effects I experienced were closely aligned with the effects I’ve enjoyed with similar Sativa gummies, but for me I found a little more body focused effects than with most pure Sativa gummies.

Nice smell, candy like fruit flavor profiles and predictable effects are what these edibles provide when we want to elevate. Ript certainly offers an very affordable experience, and these cannabis edibles do an okay job that is easy on the wallet.

Currently available only in Colorado.

Taste: 5

Strength: 5

Website: https://www.getript.ninja/

Dr. Norms Originals Cannabis Infused Sativa Vegan Cookie Review

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Dr Norms makes five flavors of their Original cookies, including the Sativa Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip flavor I tried. The other flavors are not vegan, and they do have one gluten-free cookie that is Indica, so if you want an Indica cookie that is vegan or a Sativa cookie that is gluten free, you will have to look elsewhere.

I prefer edibles that indicate the strain name (Sour Diesel, OG Kush, Romulan, etc.) but I appreciate when they are labeled Sativa, Indica or Hybrid as these cookies are. Also appreciate offering a cookie that is vegan and one that is gluten-free, though having each in both Indica and Sativa would be an improvement.

Most of the cookie flavors come in 100mg packages with 10mg of THC per cookie. Dr. Norms also makes a 20mg dose cookie and a Max cookie of 100mg – both of those should only be used by folks very experienced with edibles. They also make gummies, brownies and other edibles.

Packaging is easy to read and fairly easy to open, with a child proof mechanism similar to how many edibles bags work, using a thumb to grab one side while pulling open the other side. The closure is sturdy and easy to re-close. The cookies are loose inside, not individually packaged.

All of the ingredients are ones you have heard of, with no hard-to-pronounce chemicals, artificial colors or flavors. I also like how the package back comes with the reminder that with edibles you can always eat more but you can never eat less.

Taste

I appreciate that the bag claims you will taste the cookie and not the Cannabis and it is true, no strong cannabis flavor. Unfortunately, these are not great tasting cookies. The cookies look and smell fine, like a good quality crunchy cookie. There is a tiny bit of chew but it is mostly a crumbly butter cookie. They have a very nice peanut butter cookie taste with chocolate chips, sugar and butter the predominant flavors. I hardly was able to taste the cannabis, which for folks who don’t like that taste is a big positive. Even the aftertaste was butter cookie, not THC.

Effects

Within 30 minutes I started to feel the effects of a mild buzz. It remained on the mild side. It was hard for me to tell from the effects if this was an Indica or Sativa. I felt a little relaxed but not a lot. I did not feel the uplift, energy or focus I normally get from a Sativa edible. These seem to be a balanced mild hybrid with a slight cerebral high and a mild relaxing body high. I tried these several times in the afternoon and they did not give me a strong head high or any significant body effect, just a slight stoned feeling.

If you are sensitive to THC, if you are new to edibles or just prefer a mild effect, these could be a good product for you in terms of effects. Try half a cookie for a 5mg dose first to see how you are impacted. I prefer my effects to be more noticeable, to give me a decent strength either in the direction of energy and creativity or in the direction of relaxation or pain relief. I did not find any strong effects with these at my usual dose. These could be perfect for folks who get strong effects from a dose smaller than 10mg or who are looking for a mild buzz.

Not a great tasting edible but vegan, using real ingredients with a mild hybrid sativa effect.

Flavor: 2

Strength: 4

Website: https://www.drnorms.la/

Utopia California Cannabis-Infused Macaroons Review

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Utopia’s Cannabis-infused macaroons are tasty circles full of organic ingredients. They are raw, paleo-friendly, kosher friendly, gluten free, non-gmo and vegan. Only the salt is not organic, every other ingredient in these edibles is organic. They do contain tree nuts and peanuts, and are processed in a facility that processes both of those and soy products, for those with allergies.

They come in four flavors, Vanilla, Raspberry, Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter. All of them are made with a hybrid mix of strains, so they are neither Sativa or Indica.

They can be hard to find sometimes and a recent review of their website, indicating where their edibles are sold, did not match with what the dispensaries had, which could mean that they are sold out or they may not make all of the flavors anymore, hard to tell. They come in a package of 10, each with 10mg of THC, or for medical, a package of four cookies each with 50mg ( a very high dose and only for experienced medical patients).

Taste

The macaroon flavor is naturally pretty coconut focused with a finish of the labeled flavor – Vanilla, Raspberry, Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter. There is no artificial or strong cannabis oil taste.

The Peanut Butter flavor smells and tastes like a typical peanut butter macaroon – chewy yet a little dry. They start out mildly moist and they can go dry easily so it’s best to make sure you reseal the package tightly. The package says to store at room temperature, as refrigeration can dry them out, but I did keep them in the refrigerator after a few weeks to keep them fresh. I just don’t use them often enough to keep them out for too long. While you can get away with eating these cookies without liquid, some coffee, almond milk, or tea to go with them is a welcome addition.

The flavors are basically coconut, sweeteners (agave syrup and coconut sugar) and some natural flavor, so not a lot of complexity but a solid basic taste.

Ingredients & Packaging

I like that most of the ingredients are organiz and are ones that I use in cooking myself, not a lot of extra chemicals or preservatives.

Packaging is mercifully easy to open, with a tear strip that exposes a resealable closure similar to many child-safe pouches. There are helpful graphics on the package to help users get the bag open.

Effects

The effects seem to run down the expected hybrid middle. You don’t get the focus, uplift and energy to run around and get a lot accomplished you’d get from Sativa, nor do you get a strong body relaxation you would get with an Indica. It’s a mildly stoned mixed feeling between a head and body high.

I didn’t find them especially strong, so if you are sensitive to the effects of edibles or just starting to try them, this type of more mild cannabis edible would be a good fit. I would need to boost them with a 2.5 mg dose of another edible or a transdermal gel to get the impact I get from stronger edibles at a 10mg dose. They are pretty easy to cut in half when they are fresh, so you can try half a dose first, which is always smart when trying a new edible.

I think Utopia makes some very good cannabis edibles. I wish they made Sativa/Indica type specific versions, and I would love it if they would share which strain or strains they use. It can be hard to find edibles that are organic as well as vegan, gluten free and non-gmo, so if those characteristics are important to you, these are a good choice.

Taste: 7

Strength: 5

Website: https://www.utopiacannabis.com/

Plus Products Cannabis Infused Gummies Review

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Plus Products makes several types of cannabis infused gummies. There are Sativa, Indica and Hybrid formula gummies that have 5mg of THC per gummy. They come in packages of twenty 5mg pieces.

plus-sativa-sour-watermelon-open.jpgI always prefer cannabis edibles that indicate Sativa, Indica, or a hybrid, so I like that Plus has products labeled Sativa and Indica. I like it even better when edibles provide the name of the strain used to make the THC oil, but unfortunately there is no indication of what strain is used for these gummies. The website does say “Each low-calorie gummy is made from scratch with natural, kosher ingredients and infused with carefully sourced top shelf flower.” but doesn’t give any indication which strain of flower.

Besides the Sativa Sour Watermelon flavor, the company uses a similar formula for their Blackberry & Lemon Indica gummies that have a 9:1 THC to CBD ratio, a Sour Blueberry Hybrid and their Pineapple & Coconut gummies with CBD and no THC.

In 2018, Plus did make three limited edition flavors – Rose & Vanilla with a 2:1 THC to CBD ratio, a Rainbow Sorbet, both labeled as Hybrid with no strain indication and a Cranberry Shortbread Sativa.

Packaging is a Big Fail

There is a lot not to like about how this product is packaged. Shame on their product packaging designer for thinking that white text on a pale pink background for the Sativa product is legible. In low light, for folks with impaired vision or for those that are color blind, this packaging is very difficult to read. Not only is it difficult to read, it has a complicated child safety mechanism. When you can’t figure out the packaging and the instructions are nearly impossible to read, this is a product that starts out being very frustrating before it is even open, which does not create a good start to the experience.

As you tear off the top of the package, you have to be careful of the ziploc-type slider mechanism hidden inside the part you tear off. It is very hard to see whether you are tearing off the whole zipper mechanism or just the top of the bag. Once the top is off and if you have managed not to destroy the “zipper”, it is very unclear what happens next. If it didn’t require a flood light to read the text on the package, than it might be easier to figure out, but it isn’t. You are supposed to align the slider with a tiny notch in the closure and then push down on the slider. Unfortunately they don’t give you any hint which part of the slider is supposed to be aligned with the notch, so you have to keep trying the slider in different positions to try to make it work. By this point even a reasonable person would be ready to take a knife and destroy the packaging in frustration or just dump the whole thing in the garbage.

Once you have found the magic coordinates to make the slider work, it creates an opening about 75% of the width of the tin inside, making it difficult to get the tin inside out of the packaging. If you try to make the opening wider, the slider pulls off of the mechanism, ruining the child proof packaging. Trying to force the slider back onto the mechanism is difficult and then once you do, the opening mechanism doesn’t work. Only by prying open the bag can you access the tin with the gummies inside.

This product officially wins my award for the worst packaging of any edible I have tried. The manufacturer who produces this packaging and Plus Products should both re-examine this terrible design. Why create a frustrating customer experience that makes a person never want to buy their product again – not a good recipe for profit and sustainability. My only crime was wanting to try your gummies, I didn’t expect a packaging  obstacle course.

Taste

The gummies are very soft tiny little squares, about one quarter inch square. No wonder they say they are low calorie, they are so tiny they can’t hold a lot of calories. They are not sticky and look to be covered in a sugar coating.

The flavor – in this case the Sour Watermelon – was very subtle. I barely tasted any sour watermelon taste, it was more like a generic citric acid fruit taste plus a THC taste. A look at the ingredients may have the answer why.

The first ingredient is Beef Gelatin, which makes me go “yuck”. I’m not a vegan but I do try to avoid animal products, especially those from boiled cow hoofs. The other ingredients are sugar, salt, citric acid, tartaric acid, natural flavors and colors. Not exactly an ingredient list to get my taste buds excited. There was a definite THC aftertaste once the taste of salty acid and beef hooves fades.

Strength

I usually prefer a Sativa edible to give me some uplift, energy and focus to get things done or enjoy creative pursuits. I first tried one of the 5mg pieces and felt nothing for hours. I then tried two pieces to bring me to my normal does of 10mg. I found them slow to start and while they are slightly uplifting, I got very little energy from them. That was about the extent of the effect.

It was not at all what I usually expect to get out of 10mg of THC from a Sativa strain. I felt slightly stoned but I did not feel uplifted or creative or energetic. After a couple of hours even the slight effects were gone.

This is closest I have come, when taking my usual 10mg dose of THC in edibles, to feeling like I took nothing at all. Except for a slight initial effect, the effects were otherwise non-existent. I have tried some mild edibles but this may be the most mild.

PLus gummies rainbow

I did find that they are a good strength to boost the effects when I’ve had 10mg of another edible and I want a stronger effect. About two hours after taking 10mg of another edible, if I want a stronger effecting I find that adding one of the 5mg Plus pieces gave a nice little boost.

Claims

The company website includes the claim “Our products act faster and taste better because our research and manufacturing teams have spent the time to develop industry leading patent pending processes.” They give no explanation as to what those processes are or how much faster they claim to work. Without any supporting information, these come off as marketing claims that sound false, even if they are true.

In what I think is a hilarious mistake, the “Press and Investor” website press page shows what looks like the manufacturing floor, with people in robes working on pans of product and boxes in a bleak warehouse. Unfortunately most of them are not wearing face masks and at least half of them have their hair nets on wrong, not covering all of their hair. A food inspector would likely shut the place down or give a warning at a minimum.

With the frustrating packaging, the lack of great taste and the very mild effects, this is a cannabis edible I cannot recommend without reservation. While it is okay as a booster edible, there are much better choices out there both for gummies and other edibles.

Gummies we do like include Valhalla & Highly Edible cannabis infused gummies.

Flavor: 3

Strength: 3

Website: https://www.plusproducts.com/

Cheeba Chews Cannabis Edible Review

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Cheeba Chews come a variety of formulations, including Sativa, Indica, Hybrid and CBD. For a long time they have been referred to as the “Tootsie Roll” of edibles, as their chocolate taffy chews resemble that well known treat. Now besides chocolate they have a strawberry flavor.

Cheeba Fruit Chews Sativa

I took one of the 10mg servings of Cheeba Chews Strawberry flavor a little afternoon on a mostly empty stomach with some green tea to give it a caffeine boost. The taste is somewhere between a salt water taffy strawberry flavor and a Jolly Rancher super-charged strawberry flavor. I let it dissolve in my mouth under my tongue. The chew melted slowly and was smooth. I did notice a little bit of an artificial/chalky aftertaste when it was gone, but nothing too medicine tasting.

Cheeba Chew Sativa

The effects began about 20 minutes after ingestion, very mild at first. Ninety minutes later, they never got as strong as I expected. My effects were definitely on the mild side and needed some kind of boost to be what I wanted. After over 2 hours with only mild effect, I added one 5mg edible of the Kush Nuts to boost the effect and that worked well.

These are a great choice for folks who want a more mild effect than other edibles at the 10mg level. Cheeba Chews contain skim milk, whey, butter, or all three, so they are not suitable for vegans.

Taste: 4

Strength: 4

Website: Cheeba Chews

Periodic Edibles Strain-Specific Artisan Cannabis Caramels Review

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Periodic Edibles makes four cannabis-infused caramels, an Indica, a Sativa, a Hybrid and a CBD formulation. Not only are they type-specific (Indica/Sativa/Hybrid/CBD), which I love, they are also strain specific which I love even more!

Each piece is labeled with exactly what strain of marijuana was used to make the caramel. The strain is indicated on the jars and packaging. Sometimes the farm is indicated as well. I tested a Sativa batch made with Cindy 99 (aka Cinderella 99) and an Indica batch made with Obama Kush. The CBD formula has 35mg of CBD and 20mg of THC. The Indica and Sativa caramels both have 50mg of THC.

They also make a “low dose” 10mg individual package as well as 50 mg vegan multi-packs. While the THC caramels are only available in Oregon, they ship their Hemp Caramels to 42 states. They label them as Balanced (Hybrid), Active (Sativa), Recover (CBD) and Relax (Indica). They also make a medical strength of 100mg for medical patients.

Periodic Caramel Pieces

Periodic Sea Salt Caramels are made with quality ingredients and they taste great. There is a medicinal taste to this cannabis edible, but it’s not off putting.The flavor reminds me of other cannabis caramels that have a pronounced THC oil taste. The taste is not medicinal or alcohol-like but you can taste the cannabutter in a pronounced way. The regular caramel is well made with a good cream and salt taste. This is made with butter and milk, so it is not suitable for vegans. They do make a vegan version, using canna-coconut oil.

The flavor was fine but I’m not a big fan of the taste overall. I did see on the website they have made a caramel apple flavor and an Indica lavender caramel, both of which sound great.

Two containers of Periodic Sea Salt Caramels in Indica and Sativa. Packaging showing total of 50mg THC per package.
Indica and Sativa strains of Periodic Sea Salt Caramels
THC and nutritional information in the back of Periodic Sea Salt Caramels
Dosing and nutritional information on the back of Periodic Sea Salt Caramels containers

The product comes as one large caramel. The package does come with an indicator on the wrapping to help you divide the caramel into 5mg serving sizes. Since the product is small (2 inches) I found it a little difficult to match the wrapper indicator with the knife, so I ended up with 8 pieces instead of 10, making for a dose size of 6.25mg for each piece. I wish there was some way for the manufacturer to score the caramels to make them easier to split into doses. Dosing is eyeballing a cutting pattern on the wrapper. It’s not ideal.

Once I had cut mine up and put them in the fridge for a 30 minutes, they split nicely into individual pieces. While they do hold their shape without refrigeration, I would plan to keep these in the refrigerator both to keep them fresh and to make them easier to handle as they can get sticky and gooey when it is warm.

Periodic Caramels Whole

As I always advise folks, I started with a small dose, taking one of the 6.25mg pieces. My usual dose is 10mg of THC so I expected to feel about 3/4 of the usual effects. I was surprised that after an hour I did not feel much. As I approached two hours without much effect, I took another piece, taking the dose up to 12.5mg. After 45 minutes I began to feel the effects. I took them as usual with coffee and a regular sized breakfast that included some fat to help the THC metabolize. What effects we experience from edibles can vary with what we have eaten, other chemicals in our systems, etc.

For some reason I did not feel a strong energetic effect from this Sativa edible. Likely this is due to it being made with a Sativa hybrid. Leafly describes Cinderella 99 as being known “for a potent cerebral high…dreamy, euphoric, and uplifting”. I did find it dreamy, with a more spacey head than other sativa edibles. I did find it uplifting but not energetic, so for me this is something I would rather use in the afternoon or evening than in the morning. I did not get the effects I was expecting for a Sativa, but now I know the effects of this strain and I can use it at a more appropriate time. I am happy to exchange my expectations for the ability to find exactly the effects I desire from particular strains.

Periodic Caramels Strain

The Obama Kush used in the Indica caramel is a strain with effects that are unusual for an Indica. Leafly describes it like this: “Obama Kush sets itself apart from other Indicas through its cerebral stimulation and euphoric rush. This strain is recommended for all levels of patients looking for a balanced experience, as it offers powerful physical effects as well as an intense cerebral uplift that does not stimulate appetite or put you to sleep.” So if you were hoping this Indica edible would put you to sleep, you would likely be disappointed.

This is a good reminder of the benefits of strain-specific edibles, as you can find strains that have combinations of effects that are more customized to a person’s needs. Rather than an Indica that helps you relax but puts you to sleep, you can find an Indica that helps you relax but you remain alert. Or instead of a focused, energetic high from a Sativa, you might prefer a dreamy, uplifting Sativa effect.

Made in Oregon and only available in that state as of 2021.

Flavor: 6

Potency: 5

Website: http://www.periodicedibles.com